Dự án khoa học nông nghiệp: Replacing fertiliser N with rhizobial inoculants for legumes in Vietnam for greater farm profitability and environmental benefits (MS4)

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Collaboration for Agriculture & Rural Development Project Progress Report MS4: Second Six-monthly Report 013/06VIE Replacing fertiliser N with rhizobial inoculants for legumes in Vietnam for greater farm profitability and environmental benefits July 2008 1 Table of Contents 1. Institute Information ___________________________________________________ 1 2. Project Abstract _______________________________________________________ 2 3. Executive Summary ____________________________________________________ 2 4. Introduction & Background _____________________________________________ 3 5. Progress to Date_______________________________________________________ 6 5.1 Implementation Highlights ________________________________________________ 6 5.2 Smallholder Benefits_____________________________________________________ 22 5.3 Capacity Building _______________________________________________________ 23 5.4 Publicity_______________________________________________________________ 23 5.5 Project Management ____________________________________________________ 23 6. Report on Cross-Cutting Issues__________________________________________ 24 6.1 Environment ___________________________________________________________ 24 6.2 Gender and Social Issues _________________________________________________ 24 7. Implementation & Sustainability Issues___________________________________ 23 7.1 Issues and Constraints ___________________________________________________ 23 7.2 Options________________________________________________________________ 23 7.3 Sustainability___________________________________________________________ 24 8. Next Critical Steps ____________________________________________________ 24 9. Conclusion __________________________________________________________ 25 10. Statuatory Declaration__________________________Error! Bookmark not defined. 1. Institute Information Project Name Vietnamese Institution Vietnamese Project Team Leader Australian Organisation Australian Personnel Date commenced Completion date (original) Completion date (revised) Reporting period Replacing fertiliser N with rhizobial inoculants for legumes in Vietnam for greater farm profitability and environmental benefits Oil Plants Institute (OPI) Ms Tran Yen Thao NSW Department of Primary Industries University of Sydney Dr David Herridge Dr Roz Deaker Ms Elizabeth Hartley Mr Greg Gemell March 2007 March 2009 As above October 2007 – March 2008 Contact Officer(s) In Australia: Team Leader Name: Position: Organisation Dr David Herridge Principal Research Scientist NSW Department of Primary Industries Telephone: Fax: Email: 02 67631143 02 67631222 david.herridge@dpi.nsw.gov.au In Australia: Administrative contact Name: Position: Organisation Mr Graham Denney Manager External Funding NSW Department of Primary Industries Telephone: Fax: Email: 02 63913219 02 63913327 graham.denney@dpi.nsw.gov.au In Vietnam Name: Position: Organisation Ms Tran Yen Thao Researcher Oil Plants Institute (OPI) Telephone: Fax: Email: 08 9143024 – 8297336 08 8243528 yenthao@opi.org.vn yenthao@hcm.fpt.vn yenthao9@yahoo.com 2. Project Abstract Farmers in Vietnam currently fertilise legumes such as soybean and groundnut with N, rather than inoculate with rhizobia. Replacing fertiliser N with rhizobial inoculants would save Vietnamese farmers A$50-60 million annually in input costs and, at the same time, help facilitate the desired expansion in legume production. There would also be positive environmental outcomes. This project aims to increase production of high-quality legume inoculants in Vietnam through enhanced production capacity, implementation of a national quality assurance (QA) program at and increased inoculant R&D. Participating in the project in Vietnam are the Oil Plants Institute (OPI), the Institute of Agricultural Science (IAS) and the National Institute for Soils and Fertilisers (NISF; now known as the Soils & Fertilisers Institute (SFI)). Institutions in Australia are NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University of Sydney. Legume inoculant use by farmers in Vietnam will be increased through the development and implementation of an effective extension and training program for researchers, MARD extension officers and farmers. The benefits of inoculants and legume nitrogen fixation will be demonstrated in the field and communicated through workshops, meetings and publications. To ensure sustainability of inoculant production and use, the project will engage the private sector in marketing and ‘pilot production’ of legume inoculants, with the aim that they may scale-up production and progressively take over supply as the technology and markets are developed. 3. Executive Summary Increased production of high-quality inoculants and QA Much of the R&D effort during the reporting period was focussed on evaluating rhizobial strains for soybean and groundnut in both growth room and field. The Australian commercial strains CB1809 (soybean) and NC92 (groundnut) were found to be more effective than local Vietnamese strains at almost all of the 20 field sites for which data are available. Thus, when the crops were inoculated with CB1809 or NC92, nodule weight, biomass yield and grain yield increased relative to the local strains at 85%, 85 and 90% field sites respectively. However, the extent of the increase was different depending on sites and local strains. The two Australian strains increased soybean and groundnut nodulation, biomass yield and grain yield by an average of 62%, 34% and 27%, relative to uninoculated plots and 26%, 11% and 10% relative to inoculation with local Vietnamese strains. R&D on inoculant production technology focussed on additives to both broth and peat, on survival of rhizobia in peat, and on temperature and pH effects on rhizobial growth and survival. The IAS examined effects of broth (fermentor) culture dilution prior to inoculating the peat carrier as a means of extending the broth. Issues with rhizobial strain purity and maintenance, discussed at the Project Review Workshop in February 2008, prompted new recommendations for strain maintenance. Other issues raised and discussed were procedures for optimising the peat carrier through adjustment of pH and moisture and for sterilisation of the peat. There was no training 2 conducted during the reporting period, although training scheduled for August-September 2008 in Thailand and for later in 2008 in Australia was discussed at the February 2008 Project Review Workshop. Extension and training of farmers and advisors Extension and training of farmers and advisors is a major focus of the project as a means of facilitating adoption of legume inoculation in Vietnam. The extension-training program is built around simple, multi-location inoculation experiments in the legume production areas of the country. The experiments involve participation of farmers and extension officers in all aspects, from the design of experiments to sowing, sampling, harvesting and interpretation of results. The MARD extension service plays a large role in extension activities. Data from field demonstrations will be used to produce an economic model for production and use of legume inoculants in Vietnam. In addition, training courses will be organised for farmers, extension workers and researchers in methods of inoculant use, and economic as well as environmental benefits of inoculation. A total of 28 demonstration (extension) trials have now been conducted in 9 provinces. At the time of writing this report, data were available for 15 demonstration trials. The demonstration fields usually had two treatments: +inoculation and -inoculation. Overall, inoculation of soybean and groundnut increased potential income to farmers by an average of 3.5000.000VNĐ. The size of the profit varied with different sites. Farmers were invited to the demonstration fields at least once. At many fields such as in DakNong and DakLak, they also came to the fields 2–3 times at nodule and biomass harvest as well as grain harvest time. At each trial site, at least 20 farmers, extension officers, agriculture advisors came and made evaluation of the trial (600–800 person visits to the extension trials). They observed development of soybean and groundnut and compared the health and growth of the plants in the two treatments. They took nodule samples to observe nodules and learnt to recognise effective nodules with pink colour inside and the white ineffective nodules. They evaluated the inoculation benefits by themselves by sampling soybean and groundnut plants, weighing biomass and grains. They were provided extension materials. Also, researchers and extension officers explained how rhizobia work and the conditions for successful inoculation. Farmers were very interested in learning about nitrogen fixation. Questions were often asked by farmers were: - How do the inoculants cost? - How much do inoculants used for 1000m2 or 1 ha? - Where can we purchase inoculants? - Do inoculants have other benefits besides urea (N) fertilizer? - Can we use inoculants together with plant protection products? - Can we use legume inoculants for other crops? - Are inoculants effected by bad weather such as heavy rain, hot weather when inoculation and during plant growth? - Can we use inoculants together with urea (fertiliser N)? And main requests: - Supply inoculants for farmers to test inoculants in their fields - Technical support for farmers to use inoculants 3 ... - tailieumienphi.vn